Carbureter.



C. FOX, DECD. J. o. BOKBIIT, ADMINISTRATOR.

GARBURETBR.

APPLICATION FILED 213.20, 190e.

Patented Feb. 9, 1999.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

vif

G. FOX, DEGD.

J. c. E0KBBT,ADMIN1STMT0R. l

GARBURETER.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 20, 1906.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

SHEET 2.

G. FOX, DEGD.

@wi [Memes APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 20, 1906..

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

g1/wanton d5 ff@ UNITED STASES PALIENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FOX, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT; JAMES CLENDENIN ECKiERT ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID CHARLES FOX, DECEASED.

CARBURETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

Applicatin led February 20, 190,6. Serial No. 301,985.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that CHARLES Fox, late a citizen of the United States, residing at.Sta1n ford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbureters, of Which the followingr is a specification, reference' being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

In the operation of internal combustion engines, in which a fluid hydrocarbon is used to produce the explosive mixture, the difficulty encountered in attempt-s to utilize the heavier hydrocarbon oils, sueh,'for example, as kerosene, has been so serious as to have led to the present prevailing belief that, unless under exceptional circumstances, the lighter and'more volatile compounds only are capable of general use for the purpose.

Much ingenuity and labor have been expended in efforts to utilize the cheaper heavy and thin oils, and many plans have been devised to that end, but all have possessed defects which have seriously limited, if not pro hibited, their use. For example, it is noto riously true that with all the carbureters or devices heretofore proposed for vaporizing the heavier hydrocarbons for the purpose of producing the proper explosive mixtures, there results a deposit of a sooty or tarry nature in the cylinder or explosion chamber, in the exhaust pipe or in the connections With the engine, While the exhaust, consisting of the Waste gases or products of combustion invariably possesses an extremely offensive odor, even when some of the lighter hydrocarbons are employed. Such attempts as have been ma'de to overcome these-objections or to utilize light oils or oils still heavier than kerosene, as for example, crude petroleum or the heavier distillates resulting from the refining of petroleum, have either been abandoned as failures, or have accomplished their purpose at the expense of such drawbacks as to render them impract-icable for general use. In the effort t-o overcome the obstacles which have heretofore been met with in the construction and efficient operation of carbureters or vaporizers in general, the inventor discovered a method and an apparatus by which such method may be practiced, of producing the explosive mixtures by which not only the lighter and more volatile hydrocarbons, such as gasolene, naphtha, methyl alcohol, 'and the like, but also `the heavier oils, such as kerosene, petroleum distillate and even crude petroleum and other oils and their products may be successfully utilized.

From theoretical considerations, as well as from an extended series of experiments and practical tests, it has been ascertained that certain conditions are essential to the attainment of the best results, and from the observed operation of the im roved apparatus, which will be hereinafter escribed in detail, as the 'most efficient embodiment of the invention. These conditions may be stated to be as follows z-The 'liquid hydrocarbon to be vaporized for the production of the explosive mixture should be admitted to the carburetor or vaporizing apparatus in advance of the air or other gaseous supporter of combustion and in such manner as to enlarge the area of the charge as much as possible before the charge of air comes in contact With it. For example, the liquid may be caused to flow over a somewhat extended surface upon which the charge of air will im inge and from which it takes up the film of i uid and carries it into the vaporizing cham er through the controllingr valve in such manner as to convert it` into a state of spray or ne mechanical subdivision. The admixture of air and hydrocarbon should be effected at 'a high temperature. For this purpose the `air admitted to the carbureter should be heated as by heine; carried through a heater before it reaches the mixing chamber. After the air and hydrocarbon have thus been brought together the mixture must beA kept in a state of constant and thorough agitation unt-il the complete union of the two is effected.. It has, in fact, been found that the liquid must never be allowed to remain in Contact with the heated surface for an appreciable time, for which purpose the passage through which the mixture passes should be freefrom corners or sharp angular recesses and should lfe of uniform bore or capacity in order that the velocity of .necessary for the operation of such engines,

'itt

p porous metal,-"such for example as bronze.

plosion c are withdrawn. The chamber contains a se-y ter, and so on, the apertures being alternately mechanical subdivision,

' brought into frtluent momentary impact or cross-sectional area throughout, and that the inlet and outlet of such chamber or paschargp of hydrocarbon and drawing or forcthe mixture would be substantially the same at all points. At the same time, and this is particularltrue in the case of kerosene' and the less vo atile oils and mixtures, the hquid constituent of the mixture mustundergo a for which purpose th e 'assage must be a tortuous one, so dethat the particles of liquid will be with heated su aces, preferably of nonlIt has been found essential to the best results that the entire chamber or passage through the carbureter which is traversed bly the mixture of air and hydrocarbon s ould be of substantially uniform capacity sage should each be of this same cross-sectional area. -The novel method discovered may therefore be stated broadly to consist in bringing a char e of heated air into union with a mechanically expanded or subdivided ing t e mixture into and through a Vaporizing or carburetling chamber, maintaining all parts of the mixture in constantmotion and mechanically sub dividing the particles of the oil by frequent and momentary impact with heated surfaces. When these operations'are properly effected the resultant product is a ighly explosive gaseous compound which, u on ignition in the cylinder or exhamber of a suitable engine, is completely consumed, leaving no visible depositl of any descriptio'n in anfy part of the engine, and giving an exhaust ree from smoke and un leasant odor and containing no perceptib e solid matter. In the novel a paratus devised for carrying out this method there is employed what may be designated a carbureter, and this consists of a chamber in substantiall the form of an. ulpright cylinder provided7 at its top with an a justable needle valve for the admission of the liquid hydrocarbon into the apparatus. Communicating with the upper portion of the latter is also an air inlet, while 'at the lower end of the chamber or,l assage, is an outlet port through which tlib charges of theV gaseous compounds ries of approximately horizontal baille plates extending entirely across the same, but provided with perforations through which a passage for the charges of air and oil is aiiorded. The perforations in the uppermost plate of the series are near the outer edge of the same, those in the plate nextbelow, near the cenat center and periphery or conversel through as many (plates as may be use Means are provide for heating the .carbureter or the charges of air before entermg'the same, for regulating the volume of the! charges drawn through the same and for preventinglback pressure.

Int e specific device hereinafter illustrated, the liquid hydrocarbon enters the apparatus'through a needle valve,l the port o which is opened byav controllm lvalve, slightly in advance of the opening o the air orts. The hydrocarbon thus admitted, ows over the somewhat extended upper surface of the controlling valve where 1t is distributed in 4a thin film. The air port or ports which are above this surface are then opened at the same time that communication is established with the va orizing chamber by the movement of t e controlling valve; through ports. ap roximately on a level with the upper su ace of the latter. By this means the charge of air drawn into the apparatus and down upon the surface of the controlling valve takes up the film of oil and carries it over the edge of the surface of the valve into the vaporizing chamber with such force as to convert it practicall into a slpray or fine vapor. In this conditlon it is rawn or forced downward against the upermost baffle late. In this wav the oil 1s still further roken up or mec anically subdivided and passes with the charge of air downl through the perforations provided around the outer ed e of the plate. The mixture descending t rough the first late impinges u on thenext lower plate o the serles and t en iiows radially inward to the central perforations, in passin through which the oil or other liquid is furt er broken up or divided into small particles or globules, thus increasing its area and facilitating further volatilization.

As the perforations in successive plates are alternately at the center and peri hery, the charge flows in radial paths over the entire extent of the heated surface, and in doing so the particles of oil are thrown against the o posing plate b reason of the rapid volat` ization or iias in and impingmg upon such surfaces are t rown back to the other. In this manner the particles of oil,- by the combined effects of mechanical subdivision produced b their passage throu h the perforations an their impact with t e plates, and volatilization due to temperature, are constantly reduced in size and maintained at all times in a state of agitation. No particles are ermittedto remain in contact with the su aces of the plates or chamber, as these are rounded so as to avoid the resence of all angular recesses. As a result, after passin through and over a suitable number of ba e plates, proportioned to the quality of the oil or other liquid the volatilization of the oil and its admixture with the air are so complete that the compound V possesseson issuin from the carbureter, the

properties of a fixe gas.

.uol

With the above exposition of what is considered the essential featuresl of the invention, the details ofthe construction and operation of the preferred embodiment loi the same which are now described reference to the accompanying drawings, Will be readily understoo Figure 1 is a vertical section of the carbureter proper vshowing the preferred ar-r rangement o valves and baffle plates. Fi .2 is a horizontal section online X--X of ig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line Y-Y of Fig. 1'. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of, an apparatus for utilizing th exhaust of the ,engine to heat the air supplied to the carbureter. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same ap aratus at right angles to that of Fig. 4. i 6 is a horizontal plan view of the same. ig. 7 is a central horizontal section of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a side elevational view showing the preferred arrangement of heater and carbureter and the connections thereof with each other and with the engine.

The arrangement of-the im roved carbureter and its accessories is i ustrated in Fig. 8. In this figure A desi nates the exhaust pipe of the en ine which eads the heat- -ed products of com ustion through a heater B. Air for the explosive mixture is drawn through this heater and into the,carbureter D through a pipe C.' The charges of explosive mixture are drawn from the carbureter into the explosion chamber .of the engine through a pipe F.

Referring now `to Figs. 1 and 3: D is a cylindrical casing in the top of which is an adjustable needle valve H, having a threaded stem that extends through the oil or fuel pipe G into the conical seat of the oil port h. Around the upper lportions of the case D is an annularchamber C with an orifice C, on 'one side of which the pipe C is'joined.

series of perforations or ports c is provided in the wall of the casing to admit the charges of air from the annular chamber C into the upper interior ortion of the device above the controlling va ve. This'latter chamber is formed by a wall I and a controlling valve J which 'is normally closed. The valve J contains or controls two orts or sets. of ports;

one, 'i to admit the air between the upper edge of its .cup-shaped body and the top of the chamber; the other, y' consisting of a row of perforations around the lower portion of the sides f. the cup which are normally closed by the langesof the opening in the di'vidin wall I. /In the center of the valve J is a so 1d stud f'with a conical end Which normally closes the passage containing-the needle valve H. The upper edge ofthe cu shaped body enters a groove in the top of t 1e chamber, and the relations of the parts are such that communication with the needle valveis open 'before the edge of the cup leaves the groove and opens the port i for the admission of the air, and before the ports in the lower part of the valve o en communication wit-h the vaporizing c amber. The upper and lower ports 'i and j are simultaneously o ened.

It 'wi l be observed from the construction shown that 'a body of air will be confined by exsthe valve as it closes, and this acts asV a cushion which revents ounding.

. .The stem of t e valve is suitably mount-` edand actuated by a spiralspring e which maintains the valve normally closed. The

valve is depressed by suction produced by 'the engine, and, when o ened admits iirst the oil an then the heate air from chamber C The latter entering over the edges of the cup through the port i takes up the oil which has been distributed over the upper surface of valve J and carries it through the lower -port j, spraying it over the edge of the valve J mto the vaporizing chamber below.

In the vaporizing chamber is a series of baffle plates K which extend horizontally and entirely across the same. The number of Athese platesI may be varied according to the character of the oil used, the lighter oils requiring a smaller number of lates than those o less volatile nature. t has been found, for example, that with a carbureter about 4 inches in diameter used in connection with a two cycle ve horse power engine, four plates will be sufficient to permit the use of crude petroleum without leaving any trace of soot or tar in the carbureter or engine, 'and withapparently perfect combustion of the explosive mixture. `The uppermost plate K is provided around its edge with a series of perforations L.. .The next plate below has a series of perforations L near its center'. The perforations in the nextl plate below are nearthe ed e etc. so that the cha e isdistributed vover t e surfaces of the' lp ates and flows radially inward and outward as it advances from the to ofthe chamber to the outlet ports atthe ottoni.. If the bottom plate be perforated near its ed e it is preferable to ave the 4outlet ports L lin the bottom of the casing near the .center of thev same and conversely.

The perforations around the outer edges of the plates should beas close as practicable to the outer-Wall of the chamber so that no .pockets or recesses will be formed in which any part of ther mixture can remain. In the partleular device shown, i'n which the stem of the controlling valve works in a socket extending up centrally through the plates', the same x precaution of having the central series of pe orations close to the inner wall should also be taken.

Beneath the above .described vaporizin chamber and working between the ports L and a perforated plate M is a wedge shaped I the apparatus referred to in more general counters. It will be seen that a limited -care so that the cross-sectional aeafof thes tated byvcausingthe chargesfft ,Y holes in the plates of comparativelyfsmall and in the central partthre s of ten'hfol' piece M for re latthe .movement V'of the controlling va ve J he piece M`islcarriecl by a stem M" which may be ushed in er drawn out by hand to regulate t e volume of the charges, and so control ,the speed of theengine. The lstem M may be connected with 'and operated by a centrifugal governor. The travel of the controlling valve will be dependent upon the position of the wedgesha ed piece M and' the point on itsinclined ace which the lower end of its stem enmovement of the valve will reduce the area of the orts controlled thereby, and will necessari y impair the relationship ofuniform capacity or sectional area between the saine and the .passage through the apparatus, vb'ut the parts should be so adjusted that for normall operation, the areaof the orts will be equal to -that of the passage, so t at any temporary departure from this relation will not'materlally interfere with the most eflicient conditions of operation. l

Below the carbureter or between it and the pipe F which conveys the charges to the engine is a check valve N, 'suitably cushioned, as 'by aspiral spring N,'and"adapted to close communication betweenthe engine and the carburetor, except whe 'depressed by the partial vacuum inthe engine which draws in a charge. It willbe understood that this valve may be dispensed" with when the carbureter is used with a four cycle engine. Asv it is desirable that the valve N should have a ver'y limited movementpits head is made of relatively large diameter, and to revent air or gas being trapped in its tubular rseat one or more perforations n are formed in its cylindrical stem.

The particular features of construction of terms above, will now b e pointed out. As. above stated, the Lmost efficient operation is secured when the'capacity or'cross-sectional area of the entire passage for air and gas through the apparatus, is uniform throughout and the lsamer as that of the inlet and outlet orts. For this purpose the diameters of the oles L, L', L should b e determined with:

passages througheach plate may egual, ini* the aggregate, the total cross-sectional rarea of the inlet port C. It ha's been-found. that the mechanical subdivision,y of the'loil is facili?.` 'Hssthrsughz of larger diameter sofas" topresehtpmgS' area of "the holes of lthe Louter rows.; has,

same uniformity in the dimensions of the passage through the carbureter'traversed by' the mlxture of air and hydrocarbon, thpt is to, say' a uniform cross-sectional areal at right angles to the path of the advancing mixture, Aso that the velocity of the mixture may be substantially' the` same at all points throu h such passage, is a matter of' design, but 1n constructing the device, with this special ob# ject in view, precaution should be taken that the shape and, dimensions of the parts are such that when assembled, no pockets 5r angular recesses will be left in which oil or other liquid may 'accumulate and r even for an instant. that as uniformity of the'capacity or bore of advancing charges, the device is designed to periods of actual advance of the char es through the carbureter. It is manifest, or example, that under normal conditions and with the valve J closed, the space or chamber immediately beneath this valve, and which constitutes a part of the passa e, is much enlarged,- but the parts should e so proportioned that when the valve J is open, thus reducing the size of said chamber, the desired will be secured.

In the o eration of the apparatus a volatile oil, suc 1 as asolene, is used for startihg, blpt as soon as die heater has been raised to t e heavier oils or liquids may be "admitted to the carbureter and the supply ofy gasolene throughI the same needle valve, although this latter may have t0 be slightly adjusted to allow the proper prcportionof oils of different density tuted for'gasolene.

illustrated in'Figs. 4, 5, 6and In these artitins'which" form the passages for the eatedegihaust and the airt at goes to make up theexplosive mix-turc.

''-spreadsthrough the 'annular 'c amber P,

'tition Rlt descends'fthrough this chamber 'and the'n'.asc-ends':thrughanother annular all 'and eriinne'r cylindrical cham-ber 'EL secur so that those of adjacent rows will notjpccur on the same radial lines. To 'securq the.

the passage has to do with the velocity ofthe secure this uniform relation only durlngthe proper temperature by the exhaustg to pass whenthese are-substiv As a heater is necessaryr for' the properA operation of the carbureterisuch a.devic'e is 4 figures O is a casing containing concentric depending l from thet-op v of the casir v emain c It will be understoodl uniformity of bore or capacity of the p shut off. Both oils may be* introduced The exhaust enters at thdfleft through the pi el A, 4and-5 izo chelather'fisvv fermedfby; the .pains-Qn' tb" athe'" bottoinff paititiq Ris .The 4.inner-:T130

- scribed it is possible to use not onl naphtha, 'wood alcohol and the l' evolatile volatilized means for heating t smeer haust t h it itis divided by a .late V forced into t e chamber T or sec to the bottom of the and extending up to a point near the top of the said chamber. or the same purposeA ribs W are formed on the interior of the partition wall R which extend upward to near the top ofi the exhaust chamber and cause the exhaust to f olow the course indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. By this means the air drawn into the carbureter is heated.

By the use of the apparatus above decompounds, but kerosene petroleum .distillate and even crude petro eum as the material for forming an explosive mixture when or vapo even'been found that quite a large pro rtion of water ma mixed with any` o the above named su'A trinceaA without impairing,

but even sometimes! improving, the operation of the engine, thus demonstrating a rernarkable ca acity in the apparatus for unitthese su tances with arr to produce cient and proper losive mixture. It

has also been found t at in all' cases thel combustion is substantially complete, and that the exhaust contains no unconsumed or solid matter and is free from smoke and od'or.` The results obtained make it possible touse manycheapbut heretofore unavailable fuel-- oils ln the operation of explosive or internal combustion engines.

It may bestated that aside from the cial features hereinbefore enumeratedas concasing, of plates or pla'rtitionsforming a tor-- 'tuous passage forv e-charges through the same, said passage having a uniform crosssectional area throughout its entire extent.

2. In a carburetor, the combination with a casing, of plates or artitions forming 9, tgltuous passage for t e charges through the same, said. p having a uniform crosssectional area throu hout its entire extent, and provided with.' et and outlet ports of a like area, as set,forth.

3. An apparatus for carbureting air, .oomprising in combination, a chamber, means for admitt' charges'gof thereto. Inge airprior to its admisgasolene,

let and surrounding t sion, means lfor introducing and mechanically subdivid' charges of `lydrocarbon fuel m th e mixing c ber in advance of the admission of the ch `of air that unite therewith and a cham r or passage through whicithe ch. ef .if .nd h ammo,

pass,.and in which theirunion to orman explosive mixture is completed, as set forth..

4. The combination with' a m' ch ber of a carburetor, "of means'for charges of au' thereto, means for heating the air prior to its admission .and means for introduc and mechanically subdividing charges hydrocarbon fuel m the carbureter inA advance of the admission of the.

charges of airthereto, as set forth.

5. In a carburetor, the combination `of means for introducing and 'mechanically subdlvlding.` charges of hydrocarbon fuel, means for admlttlng of air, means for heatg the air prior to its admission, anda mixmg chamber containing plates or partitions forming atortuous pfor the mixtureof fuel and air, said p e; having a 'uniform rtional area throughout its entire ex- 6. A chamber for carbureters, comprisingin combination, a casing and a series of plates or; partitions therein, forming an unobstructed but tortuous passage for the charges through the said chamber, the said p being of uniform cross-sectional area' throughout lts entire extent and free from mitting angular recesses so as to present no corners v'or pockets in which solid matter can lodge,

as set forth.A

7. In a carburetor, the combination with a casing,-.oftransverse latesexteiding entirely across the same an provided with perforations near their centers andperiphe'ries, respectively, to form a tortuous assage lfor t e charges, the regate area o said perfo- 'rations nieach p ate-being equal to the cross-sectional area vof the portions of the passage formed between the successive plates, as setforth. f 8. T heeombin'ation with a casing D of an annular chamber Cf llrovided with an air ine upper portion of said casing and commlmicating-with the interior thereof through .ports i, an air valve controlling saidports, an oil valve in the tov of the cas1ng, transverseplates vK arrange within the cas' and containing perforations near the perip orlyr of one plate and the center of .the next adlacent late to forma tortuous passage through t e casing, the aggregate area ofthe eforations in each plate being the same an equal to the-area of t e inlet and outlet ports.

9. In a carbureter, the combinationl with av casing, of a device at its top for admitting oil,

and a valve controlling a port for the oil, a

portfor the air, and a port for the admission of the charges of oil and air into the vapoll'izing` cham-ber,"-the air port being arranged above the oil port and adapted to .be o ened after the oil has been admltted, as set orth. 10. In a carbureter, the combination with 5 a casingLof a device at its top for admitting oil, a metallic surface over which admitted charges of oil are distributed, and a valve Vfor controlling the port through which the oil en-` ters, a ort for air above the surface `upon 10 which t 1e oil is owed, and a passage of comthe oil port in advance of t mu'nication with the vaporizing chamber through which the mixture of air and oil is drawn, the said valve bein arranged to open e air port, as and for the purposee'set forth.

CHARLES FOX.- Witnesses:

S. S. DUNHAM, THOMAS J. BYRNEs. 

